Banyan Global, as a partner on the Local Health System Sustainability (LHSS) Project in Timor-Leste, is supporting the goals of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the government of Timor-Leste to effectively and sustainably govern, finance, and deliver quality and affordable essential health services while being responsive and accountable to users and an engaged civil society. Banyan Global leads the gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) components of the LHSS intervention in Timor-Leste. We created a GESI analysis and action plan that demonstrates how GESI can be integrated into all of LHSS’s work for the life of the activity. The GESI analysis and action plan includes considerations for strengthening health sector governance, strengthening human sector workforce management, improving health behaviors, and improving health advocacy and civic engagement for health system strengthening.

Our work supports the Timor-Leste team to prioritize and integrate GESI in the Activity’s efforts to improve COVID-19 vaccination uptake by addressing existing barriers to coverage. After vaccination rollout, disparities in vaccine coverage and especially booster uptake as well as primary health care services exist, revealing the need to engage communities to increase the vaccination rate and the utilization of general health services. Banyan Global collaborates with LHSS Timor-Leste as they achieve this through their ongoing work with local grantee, civil society organization Hamutuk Nasaun Saudável (HAMNASA). Banyan Global is supporting the Timor-Leste team with a GESI review of the COVID-19 vaccination promotion activities with the Ministry of Health and collecting and analyzing data on GESI lessons learned and best practices to ensure that GESI is institutionalized in COVID-19 vaccinations in Timor-Leste.

Banyan Global is a subcontractor to Abt Associates on the $209 million, five-year USAID-funded LHSS project under the Integrated Health Systems award that works globally in up to 52 countries to strengthen their health systems as a means to achieve universal health coverage and improve population health and well-being. With an eye toward empowering countries to transition away from donor support, the project is strengthening the capacity of local organizations to lead implementation. Banyan Global is responsible for providing technical assistance to promote gender integration and social inclusion in LHSS activities that strive to increase financial protection, population coverage, and service coverage of quality essential services, LHSS’s three priority areas. Banyan Global also supports work to increase private investment in the health sector.